8. Patience #2
He flicks his tongue at her, making us giggle more, and thankfully, the heat is off me.
Their declarations only solidify my decision to keep it all to myself. The less everyone knows, the better.
We spend the rest of brunch hearing about all the juicy gossip happening at their office. You’d think since they were the bosses, they wouldn’t know, or at least put a stop to it, but the way we’re all cackling and speculating, I know they’re gonna let it play out.
“Girllll, I don’t know why she thinks–” Brina’s phone chimes loudly, interrupting her. She grabs it and her eyes balloon. “Oh shit! Cochise dropped a diss for Shad!”
“Let me see. Why you gotta alert for that nigga?” Dal snatches her phone.
“I have an alert for Shad. My best friend really a whole grammy-nominated rapper. I’m making a scrapbook with all his articles for his birthday. Play the video out loud.”
Dal turns the volume up and props the phone up. My breath hitches, seeing my baby brother talking his shit, gold slugs in his grill, rapping about how Shad is a simp ass nigga.
My breath completely stalls when I see who’s in the background of the video, shot in the studio.
“Damn, that nigga can rap. And he sexy,” Dal breathes.
“Fuck him, he the enemy, right Pay?”
“Right.” I pray my voice was even, but when I glance at Rico, his head is cocked, regarding me.
“Why are they even beefing?”
“I think it has to do with Wynter. But Casey acts stupid every time I ask about it, and Shad is no better. Rico? You think you can find out?”
Rico shakes his head, turning off the video and handing the phone back to Brina. “No can do, mamita. Anything about that ice cold bitch I stay far away from.” His honey eyes turn dead at the mention of Autumn’s twin, and he hands his card to the passing waiter without more words.
“Yeah yeah, we know. You hate her.”
“I don’t hate her; that would require me to have loved her first. No, my chocolate goddess, that's not the case at all. Haze hates her, and until she lets that hate go, I will hold onto it for her, as I’ve been doing.”
Rico’s accent makes everything sound so sexy, you barely actually hear what he’s saying. But we heard that shit, loud and clear, and all three of us are staring at him like he has two heads while he signs the receipt and leaves a fat ass tip.
We’ve all heard whispers of why Autumn and Wynter aren’t close.
Autumn told me once they’d never been close, and her family is off-limits.
Something happened when we first started dating and her and her parents became estranged, and now that Deuce has his own phone, she really only talks to them during holidays.
I didn’t want her asking me about my family, so I obliged her, and we made our own traditions.
I thought when all that shit about Wynter’s drug use hit the blogs after her accident, they’d get close, but Autumn again said she was praying for her, and that’s it.
Hearing she’s been speaking to her and staying with her in Geyser City was a shock when she first told me, but I was all for it. They were twins, and shouldn’t be as distant as they are. I know I missed Cochise like crazy, and we’re years apart.
Rico ushers us to the front, where I give my ticket to the valet driver.
“You gone follow us back to Patrick’s right? We still got a few more things to plan for Set’s birthday.”
“Yeah, maybe you can tell P there’s no way Set will let me step foot in Palace, and if I can’t go, no one else can either.”
“Girl, bye. I’m not setting foot in Palace, anyway,” I wave her off, laughing. A blue Ferrari pulls up in front of me, so I step back. When the driver’s door opens before the valet gets to the car, I lock eyes with the driver and die a little inside.
Why? Why? Why? I moved back to Kenton over ten years ago, and haven’t crossed paths with anyone from that side, not once. Even working as an emergency room physician. I mean, Kenton has a million people.
So why in the hell, in two weeks, has it been a fucking family reunion?
PC looks at me like he’s seeing a ghost. Even after all this time, he looks almost the same; long curly hair in two french braids. Half a beard that doesn’t hide his angular jaw. Russet brown skin that makes his green eyes pop.
If he’s still the same PC from my teenage years, then I already know who’s in the passenger seat.
“Oh shit! Foxtail, that’s you cuz?!”
Trippy gets out the car, cheesing at me. He towers over me, so I take a step back, right into Rico.
“You know these niggas?” he says to me, but I can’t take my eyes off Trippy and PC, who rounds his car to stand next to his best friend.
Trippy’s smile falls instantly, replaced by a mug as his eyes bounce between me and Rico.
PC’s eyes haven’t come off me since we saw each other.
His expression is now unreadable, besides his clenched jaw.
“Ooo, Foxy, you know you in trouble, right girl? Tell that nigga who the fuck we is.” Trippy has always been the mouthy one, but being six-six, a solid two-forty will make sure no one steps to you.
“Pay, what’s going on?” Brina asks from Rico’s side.
I still can’t find my voice.
Not until PC takes out his phone.
“No!” I lunge forward and knock his phone to the ground. I stomp as hard as I can, shattering the screen.
“The fuck–” PC grabs me and pulls me close by the arm, but the telltale click of a gun freezes everyone.
People gasp, screaming as security and valet try to calm the patrons down. The owner’s from South Kenton, though, so it’s not like the police will be called, especially when I hear a loud, obnoxious cackle.
“I’m so glad I decided to drop off the kids with G-Pops.
Choc, Brina, get in the car.” My girls obey Nutty and walk around us, with Rico following them.
I feel him staring at me but I can’t look away from PC.
He blinks slowly at me, holding me captive, jade eyes asking me so many questions I don't have the heart to answer.
“You know who the fuck we is, cuz?” Trippy grits.
“What I do know is I can paint the sidewalk wit’ yo brains now, or you can let PayPay go and I’ll give you a head start,” Royce says.
PC mouths Paypay, but he lets me go, confusion clouding his features. Royce’s hand replaces PC’s and whips me around to him.
“You can’t kill them,” I whisper.
“What?!” Nut booms.